


HEA

by madamewriterofwrongs



Series: Tumblr Posts [11]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Babysitting, Bedtime Stories, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Hope, M/M, Mutual Pining, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Pining, Prompt Fill, Soft Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley, fairytale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26011114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamewriterofwrongs/pseuds/madamewriterofwrongs
Summary: Eddie overhears Buck telling his niece a bedtime story that changes everything.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: Tumblr Posts [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875451
Comments: 36
Kudos: 369
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	HEA

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gracieli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracieli/gifts).



> Written as a prompt for [gracieli](https://gracieli.tumblr.com/) on tumblr: "Heard you tell the same story multiple times but doesn’t point it out to you when you excitedly bring it up to them again". I died when the ending popped into my head so I hope my corpse did this idea justice. 
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated.
> 
> Enjoy <3
> 
> Check out my tumblr [madamewriterofwrongs](https://madamewriterofwrongs.tumblr.com/)

“Alright, Missy, it’s time for bed.” Eddie smiled from the kitchen where he was drying the last of the dishes, the sound travelling from his guest bedroom. He could picture Buck cuddling the little one to his chest, swinging her around the room in time with the sleepy giggles that echoed through the hall. He’d spin once, then twice, then pull her close and kiss her hair, smelling the new baby scent he promised Eddie he wasn’t addicted to.

No one believed him.

A few more gentle kisses and he’d finally lay his niece into her crib; he was always so gentle with her head, afraid of being too rough with her (‘I’m a big guy, Eddie, I could crush her!’). He’d rolled his eyes when Maddie laughed at the idea of her baby brother hurting a fly, but that delicate hold hadn’t faded since that first day at the hospital.

Ten months old. Eddie couldn’t believe it. Ten months since this tiny bundle of joy came into their family and he’d never seen Buck happier. He doted on Amelia as much as Albert, the two brothers joining Chimney on his spiraling research sessions all throughout the pregnancy. He still had the photo Maddie had sent him of the three men huddled on the couch with a laptop and books spread around them, saved on his phone (though he hadn’t told Buck about his future teasing material).

Once she was settled in her crib, Buck would pull up a chair and read from their menial collection of books, both new and hand-me-down from Christopher, until she drifted off to sleep. He’d then stay there for a few minutes, watching her breathe – watching the slow rise and fall of her chest and the way she’d kick in her sleep like she was desperate for action – before giving in and leaving her in peace.

It was the same routine that followed every time the “singles” got roped into babysitting so Maddie and Chimney could have a few hours off. Not that it was much of a hardship. Eddie always hosted because he had the extra space (and there were much fewer hazards for the little explorer to get into), and having a baby around was…it was nice. He’d missed a lot of these moments with Christopher and while it would never make up for the time he lost with his son, it was…nice. Having Buck around – holding a baby – wasn’t so bad either.

“You’re still not ready for bed, are you?”

Eddie dried his hands, picturing those bright brown eyes staring up at his friend so earnestly. Even if Buck could resist his niece’s pleading, she still looked at her uncle like he hung the moon.

He supposed Buck did get that sort of awe and admiration from some people; understandably so.

“How about I tell you a story then.”

This, he had to hear. If Eddie thought he was bad at storytelling, Buck was worse, always skipping over parts and having to backtrack and making up the most random things and then forgetting them a few sentences later.

He supposed Amelia wouldn’t mind so much; just listening to Buck’s voice would be enough to soothe ~~him~~ her. Eddie tiptoed down the hallway and leaned against the wall beside the open door so he could listen to the bedtime story.

“Once upon a time, there was a boy who didn’t want to grow up.”

_Peter Pan, not a bad choice._

“He loved getting to run around and be free – to make his own rules and get into trouble.”

Eddie suppressed his chuckle, careful not to make his presence known. Buck, he thought, was a little like Peter Pan.

“But more than anything, the boy wanted to help people. He loved getting to save the day, but he loved helping people get home to their loved ones even more.”

_That’s not the story of…_

_Oh._

“You see, the boy was very lonely; and helping others feel safe, made him feel better. The boy thought he was destined to be alone forever. And he didn’t mind all that much.”

Eddie sunk back against the wall, the cold plaster grounding him while he listened with breathless curiosity.

“But then one day, he met a man, and that man showed him kindness.”

_Is he talking about me or- no he couldn’t be._

“The man took him under his wing – he cared for the boy. It made his job feel like home.”

_Bobby, of course. They had a relationship long before I entered the picture._

“And then the boy met a woman. She was beautiful – the fairest maiden in the land.”

Eddie couldn’t hold his breath any longer, his lungs collapsing with the weight of Buck’s words – with the wistful way he spoke about Abby.

“Her hair was like a…strawberry field in the summer sun, and her voice made him feel”

Eddie strained to listen before he realized the silence was Buck, gathering the strength to speak; lightly clearing his throat so as to not break their precarious bubble of calm.

“For the first time, the boy didn’t feel so alone. She made the boy want to grow up. The man gave him advice on how to do it but ultimately, the boy made the choice all on his own. His first big decision.”

He could practically hear Buck’s chest puff with pride even as his voice grew sad. He knew his friend’s mannerisms well; too well. He wouldn’t need to look to know Buck was pacing slowly, a light bounce to his movement, a slight twitch in his nose when he smiled (because he could never keep a smile off his face when he was holding her).

“He thought he was doing it for the fair maiden, but it wasn’t meant to be. Soon, the boy and the woman parted ways and he was left alone again.”

Eddie let his head fall back against the wall, as quietly as he could, the weight pulling down even further.

“The lonely feeling wasn’t so bad this time because he had the man to give him advice, and he had friends who helped him. And he had a sister.”

Buck was smiling, he knew it. A brighter smile because of her. Maddie, with her big heart that had been hurt so badly, until she found the person who helped her put it back together again. Through all her trials, he wondered what he would do if his sisters had ever faced such nightmares, and he never stopped Buck from texting Maddie at midnight just to check on her – even if it interrupted the movie that neither of them were watching.

“She was the best big sister in the world, and she spent many years held captive by a- a very bad man.”

He doubted that Amelia would remember if Buck used the word he actually wanted to call Doug, but it was better to be safe than sorry (and if Maddie found out that her brother had taught the little one a bad word, he would definitely be sorry).

“But she escaped, and she found the boy so they could keep each other safe. And that’s exactly what they did.”

Eddie had always admired the Buckley’s steadfast love for one another. Their close relationship made him want to call his sisters more often. He was very proud to say that he had actually followed through – mostly thanks to Buck and Maddie.

“So now the boy had lots of people who loved him; but there was still something missing for him. He wanted a family – a home.”

He knew that Buck always wanted a family. He screamed ‘father material’ in a way that sometimes made Eddie feel inadequate. More often than not, he was just grateful to have Buck by his side.

To help him with parenting.

Of course, he’d want a family. One day, Buck would find someone who could give him that (he absently wondered how he might feel about adoption).

“And then guess what happened next?”

The playful voice made Eddie smile.

“He found it.”

_He…he found it?_

Eddie didn’t feel his knees buckle until he was sliding to the floor, back pressed firmly against the wall to soften the blow.

_When did Buck find a family? Why hasn’t he told me? Does he know how much it would hurt me? Does he know how I feel but he doesn’t know how to let me down? When did he have time to move on? Except, he’s not moving on from anything, is he._

Buck’s chuckle pulled him back to reality, though he kept his head firmly in his hands, unable to stare at the blank walls any longer.

“But I’m skipping ahead. Okay.”

Buck paused again to gather his thoughts, and Eddie could sense his pace slowing as Amelia began to drift off.

“Right around the time the sister found the boy, the boy met another boy (he was a boy because even though he was very much a grown up, he was also very lonely).”

Eddie slowly opened his eyes, still not daring to look up, but staring into the darkness between his knees. He’d come into Buck’s life around the time that Maddie arrived in town. He remembered swapping horror stories about apartment/house hunting over pizza and beers. What a coincidence.

“That boy…was beautiful in a different way.”

The hope in Buck’s voice was a slap in the face. But he just couldn’t stop listening.

“His heart, it glowed – but so did his smile. The boy loved to make him laugh and they spent all their time together; the best of friends.”

But he was Buck’s…

Oh.

_Oh._

Suddenly, Eddie couldn’t breathe for an entirely different reason; the hope from Buck’s voice floated into the hallway and carried the weight off his chest.

“The boy met his friend’s child, who reminded him of how much love he had to give. And also, how much love he wanted in return.”

Christopher really was his miracle; his beacon in the dark. He loved that kid so much. And knowing Buck felt a little of that, too; Eddie didn’t dare look up, lest his watering eyes see the light of day (or the evening stars, as it were).

“But Buck, I hear you say,”

The chuckle caught in his throat as he imagined the goofy face that matched the mocking tone.

“the boy already has lots of people who love him; what is he missing?”

Buck’s voice returned to its normal, soothing tone, staying put for too long. He was settling Amelia in her crib now; the story would be over soon. Eddie listened on.

“But you see, there’s different types of love. There’s Family Love (like the love I have for you, and your mommy and daddy), there’s Work Love (the happiness I get from helping people), there’s Friend Love (the way I love your Aunt Hen and Aunt Karen), there’s Temporary Love (like the love the boy had for the woman – short but sweet), there’s Self Love (like how you are going to grow up to conquer the world), and then there’s Forever Love.”

Eddie knew (tried desperately to convince himself), that Buck had left quite a few names off that list. He hadn’t mentioned Bobby or Athena, for one. Or Christopher. The fact that Eddie hadn’t been lumped into the ‘Family’ or ‘Friend’ category – or even the ‘Temporary’ category – didn’t mean that he was part of the final group. His traitorous heart continued to beat with its newfound hope.

“Forever Love is like feeling all of the Loves at once – plus more. Forever Love leaves you breathless, and crazy; it makes you sick with worry.”

Eddie’s mind flew back to two years ago, when he’d watched Buck get crushed by a ladder truck, and then vomit up blood a few months later. He hadn’t slept either night.

“You never stop thinking about them, even when they’re far away.”

The times before Buck was back from medical leave, all he wanted to do was text him after every crazy call, or go over to his house to talk about their day.

_How long have I felt this way about him?_

“And when they’re right beside you, all you want to do is hold them close.”

Every hug, every celebratory pat on the back, every shoulder or knee bump, came into sharp focus in the darkness of his mind.

“Even when you hate each other, you love them, because they make you happy.”

He could never hate Buck – he could be furious with him, but he could never hate him because.

“They make you feel like you’re not alone.”

Swirling thoughts and a breathless, aching chest: those were signs of a panic attack, right?

“One day, the boy looked up at his friend and realized that what he felt for that boy, was a forever kind of love.”

_I can’t hear this. I can’t be here right now._

Eddie rolled to his knees, bracing his hand on the wall to help steady his shaking legs. Babysitting was a mistake. It felt too domestic – too close to the thing he desired most but never thought he could have.

_But I can have it._

Everything Buck had said; he’d said it about Eddie. Everything he wanted was on the other side of the door, asking him to step through.

 _A Forever Love_.

“And you’re going to find it, too.”

Buck’s soft tone signaled sleep; an ending to the façade that he was alone.

“Whether it’s another person, a job, yourself, or something entirely different: you are going to find something that makes you incredibly happy. And I can’t wait to see it.”

His whispered exultation barely reached Eddie’s ears, but his place standing beside the doorway offered other advantages now. For one, he got to watch as Buck pressed one last kiss into Amelia’s dark hair, whispering “Goodnight, Angel” before turning around.

When Buck and Eddie locked eyes, the world stopped turning.

For one, long moment, those shining blue eyes were only for Eddie, a million emotions crossing his face. Something like shock, realization, embarrassment, doubt, hope, determination, and calm swept through in that moment before the world continued its trajectory. With that same calm, Buck walked forward, pulling the door half-closed, as he finally came a breath away from Eddie’s face. He should have moved – he should have stepped back and gave him space in the hallway – but his feet refused to budge. He was trapped in this spot until he knew what came next.

“Did you like my story?”

It was one thing when Buck’s hushed tone was directed at the baby in his arms, but when he was staring at Eddie through his eyelashes, a curl to his lips like he was fighting a smile, Eddie would have agreed to anything.

Luckily, this one was easy (as easy as hearing his best friend – the best friend he was in love with – confess that he shared that love and now, they had to decide what to do next).

“You didn’t finish.”

A bit of the hope faded from Buck’s eyes, replaced with more doubt. Eddie followed his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. “I don’t know the ending.”

What a sneak. What a horrible, terrible, wonderful sneak; to pass the torch he’d been carrying, to Eddie, for him to do with as he wanted. He’d be terribly put out, if he wasn’t reaching a hand up to cup Buck’s neck, pulling him to the spot where his feet had taken root.

Chest to chest, Eddie looked into his friend’s eyes – his partner’s eyes – and watched the hope come flooding back as he stopped fighting the smile. Their lips met in the middle, soft and full of promises that they both intended to keep. No frantic arms, no moans or sighs – there would be time for that later.

This was just the first chapter for them, a million pages to come – an epic journey already half-lived. As they continued their languid kiss, Eddie’s mind leapt forward to a time when they were alone in the house, hair grey and limbs bent with time; the same smile was still there. His heart beat just as fast.

In the silence of the house, Eddie whispered into breath between them:

“And they lived Happily Ever After.”


End file.
